This One Is for All of You Trying to “Find Your Purpose”
What a University Recruiter Has to Say About Finding One’s Purpose and a Journey That Never Stops.
By: Sam Zeff, University Recruiter
“Finding your purpose” This phrase continues to resurface for many of us and can seem like a daunting task for anyone, let alone new grads. It’s something that society has engraved in our minds. “Do what you love, and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.” “Find your purpose.” “Follow your dreams.” We rehearse these phrases so often, which aren’t even our thoughts or beliefs; we’ve just adopted them as our own. We take on this pressure to look good in the eyes of society and have it all figured out when often we have no idea what we want to do in life. It is not because we lack drive or motivation, or even ideas. It’s because very few people take a moment even to ask themselves what they DO want to do.
We lack clarity, not motivation
Now hear me out on this, what if we took just a few minutes to ourselves and sat with our resume of experiences? To really sit with what I have done so far in my life and career? What have I enjoyed? What lit me up in previous projects, classes, group work, internships, or even time in school as a kid on the playground? Did you like leading others in a kickball game as a kid, or maybe you liked the teamwork aspect of group work in high school? As you get older, these are all clues for you to look back on and see what you enjoyed doing to help guide the present you. Your actions and behaviors are so necessary and we overlook the things that we are already doing. It’s not always about reinventing the wheel, but take a moment and recap what works for us already.
My role as a University Recruiter allows me to speak to so many students and recent grads. I tell many candidates that you don’t need to plan your next 3, 4, or even 5 years. What matters most is knowing what you want RIGHT NOW. Who knows what 2 or 3 years will bring? Getting clear on what type of impact you want to make right now and the kind of work you want to do to make that impact is what matters most. Let the future you figure out what they want to do. Focus on the present you and start there.
Now, as a disclaimer, having a 5-year plan can work out for many, especially those who know what they want to do and the steps to get them there. My piece of advice is for those who don’t know where to start or feel so overwhelmed that you feel stuck.
I, for one, am a firm believer that we all have many gifts to offer this world, and it’s never just that ONE thing that is our purpose. Our purpose for a specific day could simply be to have kindness in your heart towards those you connect with that day. It could also be to knock out your entire to-do list at work. It doesn’t have to be just one thing.
Overall, finding your purpose takes time. It takes energy. I believe you can take steps to get there by taking that time and energy to sit with yourself and explore what lights fire internally. You know you the best. And if you feel like you don’t, learn about yourself. As a new grad, the world of opportunities and possibilities is endless, and I’m not just saying that. Try new things, meet new people, discover what serves you.
Now, I’m sure you may have wanted me to give you a recipe on ‘finding your purpose,’ but I’m here to tell you that there’s no ‘how to’ for this. You will grow and fall in and out of love with the things you do, and you’ll evolve. You will fail, and you will succeed. There’s no denying that it will be challenging and sometimes frustrating, but that’s part of this process. With patience, willingness to try new things, and an open mind and heart, you won’t need to find your purpose because it will find you. Breathe and trust that you will know once you find it.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Veeva.
